As a Flower Blooms
by Archmage Keiku
Summary: Horatio meets a young girl who changes his outlook on life. My take on the type of girl Horatio should date. He's a little OOC, but besides a couple of things, I'm trying to keep him as close to character as possible. Horatio/OC Implied rape, dark.
1. Chapter 1

**My take on the type of girl Horatio needs to be with.  
Pairing: Horatio Caine/OC  
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: Miami or any of its characters. I only own my own character and the plot. Enjoy!**

**As a Flower Blooms_________________________  
**

Horatio sighed as he watched the south wall of the large building burn. Arsons had increased that summer, and he was starting to get tired of having to find the arsonists. Fortunately, the CSIs and firefighters were able to get to this particular scene quickly, thanks to a witness who saw the arsonist start the fire. The building, while still burning, was still in relatively good condition.

Horatio walked toward the building and in through the front door. Looking around, he saw that the building was relatively empty, save for a single, cluttered corner. _Why burn an empty building?_ Horatio was puzzled, until he heard a soft cough from the one corner. Examining the corner more carefully, Horatio saw the edge of an old mattress. He glanced over toward Eric, who was standing in the doorway before briskly moving to investigate the corner further. "Eric! Get paramedics in here!"

Horatio kneeled down next to the girl lying on the mattress and checked for the typical signs of life. Her breathing was solid and regular, and her pulse was strong. That seemed to be about the only thing the young woman had going for her. Both of her eyes were puffy and swollen, her eyebrows and lips split open. The rest of her scantily clad body was covered in dried blood and bruises.

Though he didn't quite realize or understand it himself, Horatio was more motivated to solve this crime than he had been with others in quite some time.

"Frank, do we have any I.D. on the vic yet?"

"I'm afraid not, H. We've posted her picture all over the news, but no one has called. You'd think someone would remember that hair." Horatio chuckled in understanding. The girl's fiery locks were wild and unruly and looked as if they could never hope to be tamed. Horatio sighed and pushed a curl out of the girl's sleeping eyes. She looked to be about 18 years old. Her porcelain-smooth pale skin was covered in cuts and bruises. She had a very slender build, and looked to be about 5'6.

They were at Miami-Dade Memorial Hospital, checking on the girl's status. Her body was starting to heal, but she had yet to regain consciousness. "Horatio, you're not gonna like this." Alexx walked into the room, and handed a file over to Horatio. He opened it an glanced over the photos and other various reports. "How long would you say this has been going on, Alexx?"

"Maybe about two years, Horatio. This poor girl suffered. There's something curious, though." Alexx walked over to stand next to the girl's bed and lifted both of the girl's wrists. "Look at them, Horatio. There are hardly any scars. Why didn't she just run away?"

"Victims in cases like these are often intimidated to act in a certain way. She may have been too afraid to leave, Alexx."

"I hope you get these guys, Horatio." Alexx and Frank walked out of the room as Horatio continued to look over the girl's results from the rape kit and physical exams, which included a slew of x-rays, MRIs, CAT scans, and any other test that could be run. According to Alexx, the girl had suffered around two years of sexual and physical abuse. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling anger rise in him. If there was anything he hated, it was a person who raped and abused women.

A woman's sharp intake of air caught Horatio's attention, and he looked up to meet a pair of impossibly bright green eyes. He smiled warmly at her. "Hello." She looked around before looking back toward Horatio. "H-hello. Who're you?"

"I'm Lt. Horatio Caine with the Miami-Dade Crime Lab. What's your name?" She gave him a wary look before deciding she could trust him. "Artemis. Artemis Bennett. What am I doing here?"

"Well, Artemis, we found you in an old warehouse that someone set fire to. Can you tell me about that?"

Artemis' eyes widened. "No, sir. I can't."

Horatio sighed. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but part of him had hoped she would tell him what horrors she had lived through right off. "Artemis, please. No one's going to hurt you now. You're safe now. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Horatio felt her eyes boring into his as she searched for anything that might show if he was bluffing. Finally, she realized his sincerity. "I don't really know any names."

"That's fine, sweetheart. Just whatever you can tell me." She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "He took me from my house a year and a half ago; told me if I ever ran away, he'd kill me, so I never tried to run. At least, not until… how long have I been out?"

"Two days."

"Not until three days ago, then. I didn't even make it all the way down the street before they caught up with me. After the beating they gave me, I thought I was going to die."

Horatio smiled thinly, "I'll bet you did. Tell me, if you could, what they did to you while you were there. My team is still trying to piece some things together, but others just aren't adding up, such as why you weren't kept bound."

"I told you, they said they were going to kill me. Plus, they kept that special. They said that they didn't want me to get used to the feeling of being tied up."

Anger surged through Horatio. He immediately understood why they didn't want her to be used to being bound - they wanted it to be traumatic each time they bound her. Keeping her tied up would have eventually numbed her to it psychologically; keeping it set aside for particularly traumatic events made it scarier. Artemis took another deep breath.

"They pimped me out, usually. I was driven to houses at least twice a week. A couple of the guys were regulars - I'd see them at least twice a month. One guy-" Artemis cut off her sentence with a scream. The beeps of the heart monitor jumped up severely, reaching up to above 150 bpm. Looking around, Horatio wondered what could have scared Artemis into such a panic attack.

All he saw that had changed the scenery was Stetler. He looked back at Artemis, who was biting back another scream, though tears streamed down her face. Her eyes, wide with fear, were locked onto Stetler.


	2. Chapter 2

Horatio looked back at Stetler. This didn't bode well toward Stetler. As much as he disliked Stetler and knew his reputation of abusing women, Horatio never thought Stetler would sink so low. "Rick, get out of here, now."

"Horatio, we need to talk."

"Yes, Rick, we do. Now get out." Rick rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. Horatio turned back toward Artemis, concern filling his eyes. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"Y-you know Dickie?"

"Dickie?"

"Yeah. That's what he told me, anyhow. I- I guess I'm alright." Horatio rubbed his forehead, hating the questions he would have to ask, and the flak he would catch about investigating Stetler as his first suspect. Horatio's and Artemis' eyes both flew to the door when they heard it open; both were relieved that it wasn't Stetler. "Eric, just the guy I wanted to see. Could you stay with Artemis while I go talk to Rick?"

"Yeah, H. No problem."

"Thanks. And Eric?"

"It's about to hit the fan." Horatio walked out of the room, leaving Eric and Artemis alone.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Artemis studied Eric. She could immediately tell that they would get along well. "How're you feeling?"

"H-huh? Oh, uh, I guess I'm feeling okay. I'm just glad to be out of the warehouse. It was awful there."

"Let's not talk about that right now. Horatio will do all of that later, and he's much more tactful than I am." Eric smiled. "I'm Eric Delko."

Artemis nodded toward Eric. "You probably already know my name. Artemis is a name that gets around pretty fast."

Eric laughed with Artemis. "Yeah, I guess it does get around quick."

The hospital door swung open and Calleigh walked in. "Have we been able to find her parents yet?"

"Artemis, this is Calleigh. She's our rude ballistics expert."

Calleigh smiled. "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to do a million things at once. Calleigh Dusquene, and what Eric said, except I'm not usually rude."

Artemis smiled. "I never thought you were."

"Thanks. Now, just what's going on with Stetler? I heard that Horatio's actually investigating him."

"I don't really know," Eric shrugged. "That's my fault, I think. He walked in here. I thought I was going to die of fright. He's the worst of the guys that well… you know."

"Oh," Calleigh and Eric chorused. "At least I'm out of there, and by the end of this, I'm going to make myself look him in the eye and wave to him as he's lead out to go to prison."

"That's brave of you, Artemis." Calleigh smiled at her.

"Well, I _am_ the Goddess of the Hunt. I have to be brave." Artemis smiled back to Calleigh.

Horatio walked back into the room. "I just finished talking with the doctors. Artemis, they're about to release you, and we still don't know where your parents are. Can you remember where you lived?"

"I think so."

"Good. Calleigh, do you have that bag in your Hummer I asked you to pack?" Calleigh moved to the door. "Yeah, I'll be right back with it."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour later, Artemis was being wheeled outside to the Hummer. "I _am_ capable of walking, you know."

"It's hospital policy, miss."

"Well, it's silly." As they reached the sidewalk, Artemis stood up and straightened her clothes that were loaned to her from Calleigh. Horatio turned to look at her and smiled. "You look lovely. Calleigh's clothes fit you well."

"Thank you. How'd you know my favorite color was blue?" Artemis indicated the electric blue blouse she wore.

"I didn't, Artemis. I just told Calleigh to pick what she thought would look and fit best. I thought you'd want to look good for when you got home."

Artemis took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't suppose it could hurt." She looked at Horatio woefully. "Dad and I never really got along."

"I'm sorry. Maybe after so long being away, it'll be different."

"Maybe. I hope so."

An hour later, Horatio helped Artemis out of the Hummer and walked her to the front door of her parents' house. The door received three strong knocks and was opened to reveal a somewhat overweight man. He stepped out on the porch to appraise Artemis as his wife stood at the threshold of the door. "I hope she hasn't given you too much trouble, sir. She was always getting in trouble before."

"I find it hard to believe that she'd ever get into trouble, Mr. Bennett. Are you okay from here, Artemis?" Horatio rested a hand on Artemis' shoulder as he addressed her. "I guess so, Mr. Caine. Thank you."

"Good. If you ever need anything at anytime, call me," Horatio said as he gave her his card. "And it's Horatio, not Mr. Caine." The two shared a smile and Horatio walked back to the Hummer. Before he left, however, he waited to make sure Artemis got inside, though her parents were there.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Get tired of being a runaway, huh, Arty?"

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

"I know what happened! You weren't taken! You just ran away!"

"Dad, I wasn't happy here, but I didn't run away. I didn't have anywhere to go if I did."

"Don't lie to me!" Jackson Bennett's face was quickly turning a bright red. "You think that just because you got tired of being a runaway you can just waltz back in?! I don't think so!"

"Dad, I didn't run away!" Artemis shouted. "I already told you, there wasn't a point to running away!"

"Damn it, girl! You haven't been back two minutes and you're already lying to me!"

"I'm not lying!"

"That's enough out of you, Artemis!" Jackson swung out and struck Artemis solidly on the cheek, causing her to fall backwards. As she got back up, Jackson kicked her back down. "I won't tolerate this out of you, girl!" Artemis closed her eyes, waiting for the next hit, but it never came. Instead, she heard a deep voice gently say, "And I won't tolerate this out of you, Mr. Bennett." Artemis turned back to see Horatio standing just a couple of feet behind her. She scrambled to move behind him, thoughts racing through her mind. _I can't believe this! He never used to be so bad…_

Glancing up, she saw her mother and groaned. Her face was swollen and discolored, and her arms were covered with bruises. _And she was the only woman to ever love you, Dad. How could you do that to her?_ She looked back at Horatio in time to see him kneeling down to her. "Are you alright?" His voice was just above a whisper.

"Yeah, I'm alright."

"Okay. I'm going to take you back up to the lab with me, if that's alright with you. You obviously shouldn't be here."

Artemis smiled up to Horatio. "I would have never guessed that. Good thing you have an eye for the obvious." Horatio smiled back down to her as he lifted Artemis to her feet. Walking back down the porch, Artemis worried over her mother. _I'll do something about this, soon, Mom. I promise._ As Horatio shut her door, Artemis heard a loud bang followed by two more.

Looking over, she couldn't see Horatio and watched as her father fell to the ground as blood began to seep through his shirt. She was careful as she opened the door to see Horatio lying on the ground with blood seeping through his shirt as well. _Oh, God, no. Not him._

Adrenaline surged through her as she flung herself out of the car and by Horatio's side. Grabbing his cell phone, she called 911 for an ambulance, remembering to mention that it was two people down, one of which was an officer. Then, she called Eric, not knowing who else to call, but knowing someone would have to start the investigation, though she could easily guess what happened.

After she hung up, she placed both hands on Horatio's wound to keep pressure on it. Her vivid green eyes locked with his blue pair. Vaguely remembering the day he found her barely conscious, the same words he said to her made their way to Artemis' lips.

"Hold on, Horatio," she almost whispered. "Hold on. I've got you."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I hit a bout of depression just didn't feel like writing. Plus, if I did, it wouldn't have turned out how I originally envisioned it. Anywho, thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of it's characters. I only own Artemis and my plot. Everything else belongs to CBS.**

**Pairing: Horatio/OC  
**

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Artemis walked into Horatio's hospital room, she couldn't help but smile bitterly. He had been placed into the same room she had vacated the previous day. Horatio's surgery had gone well with no complications. Artemis quickly pulled a seat over next to the bed and slipped her hand into Horatio's, tears filling her eyes. As well as the surgery had gone, her fears for Horatio would not be slaked until he woke up and spoke to her in his almost gravelly, baritone voice.

She felt silly and foolish, almost to the point of being embarrassed for the place Horatio had so quickly taken in her heart. _Oh, stop it, Artemis. You're being ridiculous! It's fine to worry and all, but it's foolish to let yourself fall like this! He's only there because he has to be. He's in charge of your case. His only interest in you is keeping you safe and finding the people who did that to you, nothing more. Once that's done, he'll move on. Besides, you trogg, he's way older than you, and probably has a wife or something._ Artemis' inner voice continued to chastise her, though she hardly paid it much attention. Even though she knew that nothing would happen between her and the handsome CSI Lieutenant, Artemis couldn't stop her heart from falling more and more for him.

A light squeeze on her hand caught her attention. Artemis looked up to see a smiling pair of blue eyes. "Hello." Artemis smiled at Horatio. "How do you feel, Horatio?"

"Better than at your parent's house."

"I'll bet, even though you weren't out as long as me. This is only your second day in the hospital."

"Really? Then let's hope that's a sign that I'll heal quickly. Where did you stay last night? How are you holding up?"

"Slow down, Horatio," Artemis chuckled. "I stayed with Calleigh last night. It was like a slumber party, really."

"Calleigh does slumber parties?"

"I think it was more for my benefit. I wouldn't stop worrying…"

"About me?" Artemis glanced at Horatio and bit her bottom lip. _Idiot! You should have just told him that Calleigh was a slumber party person and just left it at that! Ugh, just go ahead and tell the truth. Maybe he won't think you're _too_ silly._ "Uh, yeah, Horatio. About you. Who else do I have to worry about?" Artemis locked eyes with Horatio to try to gauge his thoughts. He looked almost… relieved? She couldn't tell. Then, slowly, he ran his hand through her hair. "Thank you," he croaked.

Artemis sighed in relief while her heart soared with joy. "You must be thirsty. I remember that I was always thirsty after I woke up from a surgery." She stood and turned to table to pour a cup of water from the pitcher.

"How many surgeries have you had, Artemis?"

"Oh, lots," she said as she handed the cup to Horatio. She sat behind him and helped him to a more upright position so he could drink.

"When I was born, I had two sets of ovaries. I was fine until I hit puberty. I'm sure you can figure out some of the complications I had." Artemis smiled. "It took a few surgeries for the doctors to get them out and then make sure that the remaining set was still fertile and all of that mess. Then about a year after my last surgery on my ovaries, I fell in a skiing accident and broke my leg. It was a nasty compound fracture… I just remember a lot of blood and being in a lot of pain before I fainted." She got up and gently leaned Horatio back once he was done drinking. She lifted her pant leg and showed him a long scar that ran down her leg. "It gets a little sore sometimes, but that's all."

"You're quite a tough young lady."

"You do what you have to with what you're given. I was handed a bad hand of cards; I made it work as best as I could until I could call and get new cards."

"When did you get those new cards?"

"Oh, four days ago."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That made Horatio think. Four days ago would have been the day he pulled her out of that warehouse. "The day I got you from the warehouse." Artemis smiled. "Yes." Horatio mulled it all over. _"I wouldn't stop worrying…" "Uh, yeah, Horatio. About you. Who else do I have to worry about?" Her touches were so gentle… was it only from trying not to hurt me?_ Horatio's mind went back to just a few moments earlier, when her hands had supported his back, how her skin had barely grazed across the part of his back left bare by the hospital robe. Back to how her fingers lightly traced small circles. Back to when he had been shot.

She chose to stay by his side moments after he killed her father. He couldn't say that he'd be that understanding. Not only that, but she had taken control of the situation to get everyone to her house who needed to be there. _"Hold on, Horatio. Hold on. I've got you."_ Her hands on his abdomen, though he was in pain, had made Horatio feel assured that he would live. The memories came crashing over him like a wave, and Horatio realized with absolute certainty that this girl not only held romantic feelings for him, but that her feelings were not unrequited. He looked over at Artemis and smiled. "How do you feel about the change in cards?"

"Horatio." Calleigh stepped into the room. Horatio sighed, almost regretfully. Artemis smiled and mouthed to him, "We'll continue this later." He nodded to her and turned his attention to Calleigh. "Yes ma'am."

"I'm having a tough time nailing Stetler with this. Sorry, Artemis, but I didn't think it should wait."

"That's fine. Have you checked his gun?"

"His gun? Why on earth would I need to do that? He never shot you."

"That's true, but sexual assault and rape come in many forms." The beeping on Horatio's heart monitor quickened as Horatio felt his temper fly off the handle. "He used his gun to…"

"Yes, Horatio. Now, calm down. You'll only have to stay here longer if you let yourself stay in this state."

Horatio growled as he took deep breaths to slow his heart. He knew she was right, but it didn't quell his temper.

"It doesn't bother you to talk about it? You sound so nonchalant." Calleigh looked over at Artemis quizzically.

Artemis rubbed her forehead. "It does bother me. I wasn't kidding when I said that he was the worst and the scariest. And it wasn't enough that he hurt me while he was… you know. After he was finished each time, he'd throw me in a tub of scalding hot water."

"To destroy his DNA."

"I guess. But I know that if I don't talk, and if I'm not frank and honest, that you guys won't get what you need to make sure he doesn't do this to anyone else. I'd prefer to be his one and only victim. There's no one I want off the streets — and out of the police force — more. He's dangerous, and if I can help to get just one person off the streets, he's the one that's going. It's like I said, Horatio. I played the cards I was dealt until it was my turn to call and get a new hand. I got it four days ago, and this time, I was given a damn good hand, and I plan to play it well and win. Part of that win is taking Stetler down, and I want to be there when it happens. Get his gun. He may clean it, but I'm sure he can't get to every nook and cranny. There's bound to be part of me there."

"Will do. You may have just broken the case, Arts." Calleigh looked between Horatio and Artemis and smiled. _I'll say you got a new hand of cards. Horatio may have as well. Artemis, you may not know it, but you're just what he needs._

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

**A/N: Once again, thanks for reading! Please review and all that good stuff, and please, leave me with an oreo review (good, bad, good). Hopefully, I'll knock out the neck chapter a little faster. ~ Archmage Keiku**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone for reading, reviewing, and even adding me to your favorites! Super thanks to simplycomplex for being my beta! You're fabulous!**

**Usual disclaimer: It ain't mine. Artemis (Arts, Missy) is.**

**On with the story!**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**

As Calleigh walked out of the room, Horatio returned his attention to Artemis. "I still can't believe… Stetler."

Artemis laughed. "Can you imagine how surprised I was when I found out he was a cop?"

"I've always known he was a real piece of work, but I never would have guessed he was so terrible. I guess I'm not surprised by the abuse, though."

"Why is that?"

"He once dated my sister-in-law. There were a couple of occasions where she came to work with a black eye. 'I hit it on a counter bending over to pick something up.' I've heard better from victims who's cases the both of us have investigated." Horatio shook his head in disgust.

"I'm quite glad about that change in cards, by the way." Artemis smiled at Horatio, hoping he'd go with her change of subject. Horatio smiled, delighted that Artemis knew how to pique the interest of a detective. Dangle a nice, juicy bit of information in front of a detective, and they were like putty.

"What parts make you so glad?"

"Well, I finally got out of that hell-hole, but I suppose that's a given. I've seen that not all the good guys are necessarily good, which was a nice dose of reality. And then…" Artemis blushed and cut off. She had been bold as it was, but this was essentially telling Horatio that after just four days of spending time with this person she barely knew, she was falling for him. Yes, she was terrified of a relationship with anyone; she had full right to be after 18 months of being raped on a sometimes multiple-times daily basis. However, there was something about Horatio that she just seemed to connect with, and he radiated protectiveness and security.

"And then, what, Artemis?"

Artemis stared at Horatio, as a deer in headlights. "Promise you won't laugh or anything."

"I give you my most solemn word."

"Okay," Artemis sighed. "And then, there's you."

"Oh?" Horatio smiled at Artemis. "What about me?"

"Now you're just being cruel. You can figure out perfectly well for yourself just what about you, Mr. Caine."

Horatio chuckled. "My apologies. You're right; I can figure it out just fine."

Artemis sighed and her face fell somber. Glancing over at Horatio, she mumbled something, but Horatio wasn't able to hear what she said.

"I'm sorry, Artemis. What did you say?"

She hung her head. "I said, 'You're just what I need.'"

"Oh." Horatio studied Artemis. Under the tough mask she put on for everyone else to see, he saw that Artemis was still scared of the world. He scooted as far over in his bed as he could and patted the space he had cleared beside him. "Come sit by me, Artemis." She did as she was asked, and Horatio pulled her back so she was laying, with her head resting on his shoulder.

"I can't say that I know how this will work, Artemis," he whispered to her, "but know this: you're just what I need, too." Horatio leaned his head down and lightly kissed Artemis' temple. "It won't be easy, but I'll be damned if I stay away from you. Neither of us completely understand what we're feeling right now, but that doesn't stop us from knowing it's right. There isn't much we can do right now, but as soon as your case is closed, we'll figure things out. I promise." Horatio locked eyes with Artemis, indicating that he was speaking in all seriousness. Artemis smiled faintly, and nuzzled into Horatio's chest. Horatio rested his head on hers, and fell asleep. For once in the calloused lieutenant's life, he felt complete.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eric jumped for joy as the DNA results from Stetler's gun came back. They had him! They had the evidence that would lock away Stetler for good! Eric ran out of the DNA lab and went in search of Calleigh. "Cal! Cal! We got him!"

"Really? From that little bit on the gun?"

"Yeah!"

"That's fantastic, Eric! Let's take Stetler down and then give Arts the good news!"

"Yeah! I can't wait! Missy's gonna be so happy! And just think, she'll smile!"

"Race you to the Hummer."

"You're on, Cal!" The two raced through the crime lab, both hoping to be the first down to the Hummer. Calleigh, despite being in heals, beat Eric. "I drive." However, just as they were getting loaded into the Hummer, Stetler came walking up the sidewalk. Calleigh cried inwardly. She wanted so badly to go get him and drag him back, and here he was, sauntering down the sidewalk like he never did anything wrong. Calleigh stepped out of the Hummer and shut the door. "Stetler, just the man I wanted to see."

"That's a first. None of you guys like IAB."

"We still don't." Eric walked up and stepped behind Stetler. "Inside, if you would be so kind." The three walked back into the crime lab and stepped into the first available interrogation room. A small smile formed on Calleigh's lips. This room was all glass, so anyone walking by would be able to watch as they had Stetler arrested. Not only was this arrest and public humiliation for Artemis, but all of the CSIs would feel some vindication from it, as well. Stetler had embarrassed each of them much in the way he was about to be. Calleigh set a recorder on the table, just as Stetler had done with each of his interrogations.

"So, Stetler. Are you ready to tell us the truth about what you did to Miss Bennett?"

"I've already told you guys the truth."

"Now Stetler," Calleigh said in her sweetest drawl, "we both know that's a lie. You said that you had never seen her before, but that's not true, is it?"

"What are you getting at?"

"We can prove that you raped Miss Bennett with your gun." Eric stepped forward.

"That's impossible. How could you prove a thing like that when I was no where near her? Unlike some of you," Stetler stared pointedly at Eric, "I've never lost any of my gear, including my _badge_ and my gun."

"So you're saying that your gun has never been stolen, am I correct?" Calleigh took over again, letting Eric cool off.

"Yes, Ms. Dusquene, you are correct."

"So your gun has been in your possession for the past, oh, two years? Particularly the past week?"

"Yes."

"So, the only person who would have handled your weapon all this time is yourself, and we should only find your DNA on it?"

"Exactly."

"Then explain this." Eric laid the DNA evidence on the table as well as the picture of where it was recovered from the gun. "How does Miss Bennett's DNA get under the wooden butt of your gun if you've never seen her before and you're the only person that gun has been around?"

Stetler sighed. "Alright, fine. But look, it wasn't rape. She was completely into it."

"And that's why she screamed and nearly sent herself into cardiac arrest when she first saw you." Calleigh gave Stetler a hard stare. "You've already lied to us about seeing her, so don't try to lie to us again."

"Are we through?" Stetler stood. Calleigh nodded to an officer in the room. "Detective Rick "Dickie" Stetler, you're under arrest for the rape of Miss Artemis Bennett." The arresting officer then led Stetler out of the interrogation room and out to the patrol car waiting for him, reading his Miranda rights as they went. Calleigh smiled as she turned off the recorder. "That felt good. Now, let's go tell Arts."

Eric agreed. "Missy and Horatio will both be glad to hear about this."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Sorry it's somewhat short! Hopefully, the next chapter will be a little longer! Thanks for reading, guys!**


End file.
